Janus-faced molecule

A Janus molecule (or Janus-faced molecule) is a molecule which can represent both beneficial and toxic effects. Examples are nitric oxide[1] and cholesterol.[2] In the case of cholesterol, the property that makes cholesterol useful in cell membranes, namely its absolute insolubility in water, also makes it lethal. When cholesterol accumulates in the wrong place, for example within the wall of an artery, it cannot be readily mobilized, and its presence eventually leads to the development of an atherosclerotic plaque. Janus-faced molecules are widely spread in our biology, but often their mechanism of action is difficult to blend in existing therapies on pathogenetic and mechanistic explanations. Therefore, both in academia as well as in pharmaceutical industry people shy away from digging too deep, as Janus-faced molecules act based on the context in which these molecules operate.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vittorio Calabrese, Cesare Mancuso, Menotti Calvani, Enrico Rizzarelli, D. Allan Butterfield & Anna Maria Giuffrida Stella. Nitric oxide in the central nervous system: neuroprotection versus neurotoxicity. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 8, 766-775 (October 2007)
  2. ↑ A RECEPTOR-MEDIATED PATHWAY FOR CHOLESTEROL HOMEOSTASIS, Nobel lecture, December 9, 1985 by Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein: http://nobelprize.virtual.museum/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1985/brown-goldstein-lecture.pdf.


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